What awaited her was when she crossed the threshold into the CEO’s office was a cavalcade of detectives. As she had surmised, whoever had sent out the request had carpet-bombed a phone book category to gather everyone who was here. She couldn’t say for certain who it was, but she could only assume that it came under orders.

Regardless, the rainbow of detectives that had shown up had seemingly all dwarfed her in terms of eccentricities. That was how Elaine felt when she gazed at all of them. There was a ringleader, a biker type, and even a few children. They all seemed to remain silent throughout the entirety of the proceedings, so while she may not have stood out in terms of glitz and glamour (though she would say she had plenty of flair and finesse on her own), it seemed enough to get the head honcho to point to her as the sole choice.

Was it the daring to break the silence she had demonstrated?

Was it the formality of her introduction?

Elaine could not pin it down, but it seemed that the CEO, Miss Katarina Dewi, had chosen—

Wait? Little Girl?

Taking a moment to realize what she had heard, she almost found herself blinking in confusion.

No, this is just someone who probably refers to those decently younger as ‘little’ or ‘kid’. This is not a hill worth dying on. Just don’t take it personally and move on with it.

The young woman in her mid-20s walked over to the chair across from the stern woman and her armored-looking bird as the others acquiesced to their fear of the bird making itself look as big as possible for intimidation, all the while not making any attempt to hide their displeasure at the situation.

But none of that mattered. While a team of detectives could amplify each other through cooperation, it was just as likely that they could wear each other down through unbearable friction, especially when a myriad of personalities like the ones before had gathered.

Choosing to bank on one based on an arbitrary quality was likely the best bet.

In which case, despite her abrasive personality, Katarina was definitely shrewd. In which case, Elaine needed to respond in kind and live up to her expectations of her, regardless of how many times she may get called a child.

The road back up was long and arduous after all.

“Porygon, huh.”

The girl crossed her legs at her ankles and held her right elbow with her left hand before bringing her right hand to her face, resting a finger on her chin.

Given what Katarina had said, there were likely multiple that were swarming the city’s network.

“In that case, we don’t need to move around too much. The fact that you know what is affecting everything means that you likely have some sort of method on a few of the culprit Pokemon, I imagine. Perhaps it’s even continuous. If that’s the case, we can use that information to our advantage.” She said, elegantly pointing towards the computer on Katarina’s desk after moving her finger away from her face.

They just needed to parse through the data and see where they were popping up and hitting. The first part of the investigation was to figure out whether their movements were random or targeted. The methodology and further logic came from that point forward.

---

Katarina Dewi
Mission: Data Leak

I’m guessing this is supposed to be the place?

Elaine Highland stood before a pair of doors within a building. The directions given to her were pretty vague, so Elaine could surmise that she was just one of many hit by a carpet bomb of requests sent to a wide array of people. The request hadn’t been sent to her, specifically. Someone had decided that sending requests to any private investigators and detectives across Hoenn was a bright idea.

Needless to say, the client that had requested investigators who could be off the books was someone who held a decent amount of influence. Given what she had looked into, this woman was a CEO of a decently sized company.

Can’t really question what stroke of good fortune I had to get a client like this.

The young detective smiled a crooked smile before she walked through the door. Wiping her countenance of any semblances of her personal distortions and greed, she moved through.

Though this place does look a lot calmer than I expected for a location under cyber attack. Must’ve been a pretty solid cover-up job.

With a smile, she looked towards her client on the opposite end of the room.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Elaine Highland, one of the detectives you made a request out for.”

Crossing her arms and giving a business-like smile, she gracefully showed her empty right palm to the woman before her as a sign of openness. No need for a curtsy or any of those other formalities.

---

Katarina Dewi
Mission: Data Leak

• player/ooc name:Kohaku
• character tags:Elaine Highland
• dropped characters' tags (if applicable): N/A
• ic posts for characters: One post, but only because you asked nicely :3
• any notes/comments:

“The world is a cruel, harsh place and the people who live in it can many times be no better. Preparations, contingency, breakdowns. There’s a lot to build-up before re-entering the world, but it’s all necessary. It depends from person to person, but you still have to plan for as many failure points as you can. It’s ridiculous how much needs to be done.”

At this point, she was only speaking for herself. Realistically, she could not comprehend what preparations Casey needed. Despite how arduous her preparations were going to be, hers were her own and his were his own.

“But it will probably all work out.”

The young woman with bloody ambitions lied through her teeth.

But, Casey was getting visibly more and more drunk. Between getting flushed and removing and tying his blazer around his waist,

“To a new friend, and to a new future."

The girl smiled as she toasted to Casey, welcoming whatever the expanses of eternity brought their way.

---

Dress

---

Casey Fincher

The man presumed correctly. Though, she would hardly argue that her dissipated importance was due to a degradation in skill. If anything, she was probably far more competent now as an adult than she was as a teenager or a child. But, taking a breath and exiting stage left for a short time was enough for the limelight to fall away from her.

“It’s fine this way. For now, at least. If I return to the limelight before I set proper foundations, I’m doomed to fail. So, I’ll bide my time and build everything up. After all, I can’t set my path without that level of planning.”

Realizing that she had spoken about her own ambitions, albeit vaguely, she decided it was best to let sleeping Growlithes lie and not speak any further of it. Doing so may put her in jeopardy too many ways to count.

“You think? I always felt that the gap between reality and what fiction portrayed to create the best kind of escape while keeping the parts I enjoy the most. My brain prefers being used as much as it can, after all.”

Elaine took another sip of the acerbic drink in her hand, letting it sting her tongue while being blanketed in sweetness.

But, his reaction to her silly question was exactly as she had expected. She was hardly laughing like a hyena, but she did find herself chuckling, leaving behind a big grin and an obvious shaking of her shoulders, as she heard his attempt to play off her question. But, after her laughter finally petered out, she simply left behind a softer smile.

“That was thoughtful of you indeed. A new friend seems like just the right thing for this kind of time. Shall we toast to that?”

Elaine raised her wine glass once again before her, hoping she wouldn’t be left hanging. Though, there would be some comedic merit to that possibility.

---

Dress

---

Casey Fincher

“Me? I...”

Elaine thought for a second. What was it she liked to do when she wasn’t busy? The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she was the type of person who tended to be at 100% for as much time as she reasonably could be.

“I guess I’ve always been a fan of night time walks or rides on a motorcycle. Or butting into places where I don’t belong. Never been much of a hobbyist. Though, I guess I do like doing logic or puzzle games. You know, like the one where you play the attorney solving murders. Brings me back to when I was at my prime, to an extent.”

And to when she was most naive.

The young woman took a somber breath as she looked at her reflection in the surface of the drink in her hand. As much as she had seen over her time, she still longed for those times when things were much simpler...or at least as simple as investigating a murder could be.

“But you’re right. Now’s the time to just take the night completely off. It’s the time to put down the baggage for the night. The moon’s still up and the night’s young, after all.”

Reminiscing over old times was something she could do later.

That being said, did he think the detective comment was about her soul searching? Moreover, the rapid fire of compliments. Was this…

“So, is this a pick-up, Casey?” The girl’s smug grin only accentuated the facetiousness of her tone as she quickly attempted to follow-up with a joke.

---

Dress

---

Casey Fincher

The more he talked, the more Elaine realized how well connected he was. Between politicians and gym leaders, even if he dissociated with them to some extent, he was connected to a lot of people who held a decent amount of influence.

As much as she wanted to know more…

It’s best to just not pry and look into things later.

As easy as it would have been to ask, she didn’t want to stifle the party with this kind of thing. Networking was important, but a budding megalomaniac like her desired so much more than simply that. Not that she would ever say that out loud.

“Recognizability definitely comes with some downsides, but I’m probably not the best litmus test for that, really. Still, catching back up on ‘normal people stuff’ isn’t a bad thing.”

As much as she was laser focused on her own goals, she still never found herself able to fully enjoy the normal people stuff. Whether it was as a famed child detective or as a washed-up has-been with newfound ambitions, she found difficulty in bringing herself back down to earth at times.

Elaine took a quick sip as she realized something.

“I guess that’s why I ended up here, huh.” For someone intelligent, she could be quite the idiot at times.

That being said, did Casey miss her introduction?

Was it really worth giving a full introduction? She had no idea of who was aware of her when she actually did have publicity and was on the news fairly frequently (at least within Sinnoh).

“I guess I kinda just dropped my name earlier as an after thought. Elaine Highland, detective...ish.”

At this point, she had to take the plunge.

---

Casey Fincher

“For reference, it also helps that it’s not like you’re not good looking. It’s easy on the eyes after all.”

Paying one lone compliment to him, she finally hung up the subject of the odor that clung to him and its source. It was not one worth dealing with, so it was best placed aside and forgotten if it was only going to play a role as mild ambiance.

Instead, Elaine brought the glass back down to a more reasonable level as she looked to where Casey had pointed towards.

A pair of children who had disappeared from public life. She had not been in the region long enough for her to be aware of any uproar in the news of any public figures losing their children and withdrawing them from the ever prying eyes of the masses. It was probably something worth looking into when she had the chance down the line.

“So, it’s not that you’re averse to this kind of thing. It’s just the association with your family. Unfortunately, I’m not the type to follow any sort of celebrity, minor or major. Political figures, officials, and criminals are one thing, especially if I can use them for my own ends and ambitions.”

The girl swished the drink in her glass as she gave the most innocent smile she could.

“But I know zilch about celebrity culture. I’m out of touch, as the kids would say, so I’ve no idea who you are.”

There was no venom. In actuality, she was just having fun, poking around. She was honest in that she had no idea who Casey was. But, he was hardly someone she felt any sort of aversion to or desire to push away.

That being said, he was also a link she didn’t want to easily cut. A son of a politician was something that could be used.

But, now was not the time for that. She was here to play around, after all. Anything else was a bonus.

“So, I’ll just say it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Casey.”

---

Casey Fincher

A rich kid, then? Elaine was unsure whether he was someone who shed off the part or played the part of the rebellious kid to a tee. Even the artificial mint smell was evidence of that.

“It definitely reaches. Though it’s not the worst scent in the world.”

Elaine had smelled the pungent aroma of carnage at a young age. Suffice to say, she was someone for whom even the worst of smells would probably not make flinch.

“If you’re not the type who really flourishes around these kinds of events, then why did you drop in?”

Was Elaine the right person to even be asking that question? After all, she had forced herself here for a myriad of stupid reasons as well.

“Being a government official’s son doesn’t mean you’re fit for the same type of work or even lifestyle. But you clearly haven’t thrown that away if you’re here, right?”

The girl reached for a nearby empty wine glass and poured out from the bottle as she spoke to the young man. After placing the bottle down, she held the wine glass before her face in a way that would look like she was gazing through the translucent liquid at him.

“So, what pulls you in, stranger who still hasn’t introduced himself?” With a smile that could only be called smug, she asked.

---

Casey Fincher

If she were taking a drink at that moment, she would have spit it out in a display of disgrace the likes of which she would have never wanted to display in public. It would have likely been enough to drench the unfortunate sap who had dared to walk in front of her.

How fortuitous for him.

That being said, the person standing before did not immediately exude the high society look she had expected of the clientele attending the party as she looked down to his shoes. But, the rest of him at least fit the bill.

Plus, he was offering her a drink. The bottle from the wine cooler was a bit much—more than she really would ever drink at once—and she would have preferred a different type of drink, all things considered.

However, the young (tower of a) man before her was giving her an excuse to not initiate anything and was even offering a drink to her.

She would have to be pretty rude to not accept it, even if she would not be finishing it.

“No date. I was just never a party person.”

The girl shrugged and smiled as she took the drink that he was offering with her gloved right hand.

“I figured I’d try to get a feel for high society, but it’s not the same as an investigation. I’m honestly a bit out of place here.”

The girl turned her head up to face the person who had reached out to her.

“Call me Elaine, by the way. And what about you? Were you left to dry by a no-show of a date?”

Elaine smirked as she tossed the question right back at Casey.

---

Casey Fincher

Elaine Highland was not one for parties. She was never the type to mix well with high society. That was not to say she had zero experience. As a young child/teenage detective, she was invited to many a soiree, but she never really acclimated to the mannerisms of high society.

But, the whims of high society were something she knew she had to learn to navigate. If someone as ambitious as her were to move up the ladder of the world, she could not neglect to learn the skill that was meshing with high society.

Even so…

“None of this feels right at all.”

Elaine wasn’t sure whether it was the intro speech she had heard from the host of the event or the fact that people had seemed to coalesce so quickly or perhaps something else, but she could not find herself enjoying the ‘fanciful fantasy’ that had been transpiring before her.

She had been more of a cerebral, lone-wolf type after all.

Or perhaps it was the dress. The black dress with a display of roses on her chest was far too showy for her tastes. The multi-colored hem with translucency only compounded that feeling. The near shoulder-length, translucent black gloves didn’t help either as she crossed her arms underneath her chest and leaned back into a wall.

In retrospect, this dress was all because a certain idiotic friend of hers had told her she had looked pretty and even decided to take a matching photo of himself princess carrying her in it.

“I should have never let him talk me into any of this. When will I learn?”

The girl sighed as she remained against the wall, gazing at the frolicking crowds and dancers strutting across the ballroom.

No matter how much she wanted to try and come up with excuses, be it the proximity to the now occupied Sootopolis, that guy’s persistent pestering, or the need to try and meld with high society for once in her life, she had been the one to bring herself here.

Whether it was finding an opportunity to dance, a chance to drink one of the flutes of champagne that were sitting among the refreshments, or mingling with big shots and practicing her attempts to fish for information that she felt oh so rusty on, she had to do something. It was not like an opportunity would walk up to her, right?

She had almost found herself ready to give @bellatrix a hearty no as soon as she had heard her question. After all, the little teacup Pokemon was definitely not hers and she was not going to be an idiot and pretend it was. But, the question of who it belonged to was laid to rest as
quickly as it had come into existence.

She finally took her mouth off the popsicle in her hand.

"Well, I guess that answers that question."

She looked to the newcomer after hearing him speak and then back to the floating ghost who was being relieved of the weight it had caught and was carrying. Based on Remiel Calcifet 's inflections and the Pokemon he carried with him, she could hazard a guess as to where he was from. While it didn't necessarily matter.

"Are you from Galar?"

A conversation starter was always welcome.

"I'm Elaine, by the way."

Nothing like a conversation with new people to help pass the time on the warm day. Well, nothing aside from the popsicle which she promptly returned to its initial position.

---

TL;DR: Self-Introductions and Deductions

The rays of the sun glaring from the sky, peeking through what little cloud cover there was, and beating down upon Elaine were unbearable. Despite the young woman's displeasure, however, the onslaught of ultraviolet and infrared light showed no signs of abating any time soon. And so, she acquiesced to reality.

Rather than walking in her usual clothes, she had found herself storing them away in a coin locker and walking around in an outfit that was far from the usual for the ex-detective--a pink, plaid front-tie bikini. Her eyes were shielded from the worst of the sun by a combination of a sunhat and a pair of sunglasses. Hanging over her shoulder was a small, zipped up bag containing all of her valuables Pokeballs. Within her hand was a red popsicle that she was trying her best to keep in her mouth as she walked.

One could say without a doubt that she was prepared to prance around the beach and they would be unquestionably right.

And the stroll looked like it was going normally, until she witnessed something off to the side, in her peripheral vision.

Is that Sinistea...?

With the popsicle still in her mouth, she stopped, turned her head and shifted her sunglasses down to catch the sight of a small, floating Pokemon catching hot dog toppings falling right in front of a slender young woman. At that point, her quizzical gaze was far beyond obvious.

---

Notes:
-Elaine's swimsuit
-Elaine sees Remiel Calcifet 's Sinistea and @bellatrix